Author: Martyn Hale

Year 8 Humanities
History Module
The First World War 1914-1918

Aims of the module
To be able to understand the differences between a long term cause and a short term cause of the war.
To understand why young men went to war, how they were recruited and what propaganda is.
To understand what life was like in the trenches, using primary sources to gain an insight into trench conditions.
By the end of the module you will understand how the war came to an end and how Germany was punished.
Lessons
Causes of the First World War (otherwise known as the Great War)
How was the Great War fought? (re-enactment)
How do we know what life was like in the trenches?
What should happen to Germany at the end of the war?
Write the date and title at the start of the lesson

Key terms for the module

Improve your writing by using the key terms.

Tick words off when used in class work

Alliance	An agreement between two or more countries that if one is attacked the other will help.
Allies	The armies of Britain, France, Russia and North America who fought against Germany and her allies in WW1.
Armistice	An agreed cease-fire in the war on November 11th 1918 that proved to be the end of WW1.
Artillery Bombardment	Is when lots or firepower is directed at one target for an extended period of time.
Catalyst	An event which becomes the trigger for a war to break out. E.g. the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.
Conscription	Introduced in 1916 (except in Ireland) and ensured that all men of a certain age joined the army.
Dugout	A shelter that is dug into the ground on the side of a trench.
Infantry	This was the name given to soldiers who fought on foot.
No Man’s Land	This was the land between the British/French on one side and the Germans on the other.
Primary Source	Evidence and information that comes from the period or event you are studying.
Propaganda	Information created to promote a particular viewpoint.
Provenance	The provenance of a source is the information which states who the source was produced by, when, and where which then allows you to work out whether it is reliable.
Reliable	Can we trust a source? You have to consider provenance of a source very carefully to decide this.
Secondary Source	Evidence and information that is created using primary sources and comes from someone who did not experience or witness the event or period of History; e.g. the written work of an historian
Stalemate	Where no one moves so that there is no advance and everyone stays where they are.
Trench Foot	This was a condition that soldiers would get if they could not keep their feet dry.
Western Front	This was the name given to the frontline that ran through France and Belgium and stretched across to the Swiss border – 450 miles.
Nationalism	Having pride in your country. An extreme version of this is when you feel that your country is better than others.
Imperialism	Trying to build up an empire

A map of the Western Front. A ‘Front’ is where 2 sides meet, where the enemies engage in fighting.

Review
What has been the most interesting aspect of this module for you?
Look back through your work, write down 2 ways in which you can improve in the next History module.
1.
2.